Spark gap apparatus



@fii 19% G. H. GORDON ET Al. 2,528,@5

SPARK GAP APPARATUS Filed Sept. 27, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W f 50 Z G a 2 2 2 Km Cl T j I: g D/ A\ 326 0 GEORGE H Gamma EDWARD c. HILKER INVENTORS ATTORN 5Y5 CL 1959 G. H. GORDON ET AL SPARK GAP APPARATUS 2 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Sept. 27, 1945 m5 R K o O H T 6 H N ..E H E D W G R w ED 61E Patented Oct. 31, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPARK GAP APPARATUS Y George H. Gordon, Bradford Woods, and Edward C. Hilker, littsburgh, Pa, assig'nors to Edwin L. Wiegand Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 27, 1945, Serial 0. 618,860

Claims.

This invention relates to electric spark gap apparatus or means which may be used in any system in which a high potential electric current jumps a gap or gaps between electrodes. More specifically the invention may be embodied in spark gap means in which a cooling fluid is used to cool the electrodes. The principal object of the inventionis to provide new and improved spark gap means of these types.

In the drawings accompanying this specification,.and forming a part of this application, there are shown, for purposes of illustration, several forms which the invention may assume, and in these drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a side view of the embodiment of Figure '1, r

Figure 3 is a rear view of the embodiment of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is an end view of the embodiment of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a detail of the embodiment of Figure 1, taken on the line 55 of Figure 1, and

Figures 6 and 7 are fragmentary cross-sectional views of different embodiments of details.

In the illustrated embodiment two spark gaps H], II, in series, are shown. The spark gaps l3,

H are, in this instance, of the rod type, that is,

the electrodes are in the form of rods, specifically cylindrical rods or plugs, the ends at the gaps being surfaces at right angles to the common axis of the rods. In the embodiment shown, an interrhediate or central plug l2 has, at its left hand end, as viewed in Figure 1, at'erminal portion l3 whichp'rovides an electrode surface cooperating with an adjacent electrode surface provided by a terminal portion I4 of an'end plug l5, these electrode surfaces providing between them the spark gap ID. The central plug I2 also has, at its right hand end, a terminal portion l6 which provides an electrode surface cooperating with an adjacent electrode surface provided by a terminal portion ll of an end plug l8, these electrode surfaces providing between them the spark gap"! l. v

The plugs l8, l2, l5 are individually supported by three supports 23, 20a, 20b each comprising will serve for all. The support 20 includes a metallic member 22 having an aperture 23 for the reception of the plug H3. The member 22 is split into the aperture by a slot 24. The slot 24'results in two spaced portions 25, 26 which may be forced apart to a desired extent, due to the resilience of the split metallic member, and may also be forced togethen'by a screw means 21 as will more fully appear.

The member 22 has a'chamber 28 providing a passage for the flow of cooling fluid. The chainber 28 has an inlet port 29' and an outlet port 30,- to which are connected tubular studs 31, 32. The studs 3!, 32 are brazed or otherwise suitably fastened in recesses in a plane face 33 of the member 22 and extend laterally at right angles from that face. v

The chamber 28, in this instance, is defined, in part, by a cylindrical surface 34 concentric with the aperture 23 and surrounding the major circumferential extent of the aperture 23. The chamber 28 has a slight enlargement 36 opposite the outlet port and an enlargement or extension of considerably greater extent opposite the inlet port'29. Between the inlet port 23 and the outlet port 30, the chamber 28 provides a passage defined between a curved line 31 and the cylindrical surface 34. From apoint 38 near the inet port 29' the line 37 recedes from the cylindrical surface 34 to a point 33, and thengradually approaches and becomes relatively close to the cylindrical surface at a point 40 adjacent the outlet port 30. The construction and arrangement of the chamber 28 is such that fluid entering the inlet port 29 efficiently flows into the inlet extension 35, then in cooling contact with the cylindrical surface 34, and then sweeps into the extension 36, before flowing out of the outlet port 30.

The studs 3|, 32 extend through apertures in the base 2 I, and have external threads with which nuts 43 are cooperable, for holding and tighten ing the plane surface 33 against the base 2|. The

terminals of a source of high electric potential may be connected to a stud of the support 2012 and to a stud of the support 20, if, as in the embodiment illustrated, the spark gaps H), II are to be inseries.

The terminal ends 44 of the studs 3|, 32 are suitablyfo-rmed for cooperation with unions 45 for connecting conduit means thereto. Referring more particularly to Figures 2 and 3, a con duit 45, coming from a source of cooling fluid (not shown) is connected to the inlet stud 31b of the support-clamp 20b; the outlet stud 32b of the support clamp 20b is connected by a conduit 41 to the inlet stud 3| a of the support clamp 201;; the outlet stud 32a of the support-clamp 20a, is connected by a conduit 48 to the inlet stud 3| of the support-clamp 20; and the outlet stud 32 of the support-clamp 20 is connected to a conduit 49. The conduit 49 may lead back to the source of cooling fluid in the case when the cooling fluid system is a closed one.

The conduits 46, 41, 48, 49 are preferably made of insulating material of any suitable kind, desirably flexible, and preferably of high electrical insulating value. The cooling fluid is of any suitable kind, preferably also of high electrical insulating value.

It will be evident that, in the embodiment illustrated, the flow of cooling fluid will be through the respective chambers 28 in the support-clamps 20, 20a, 20b, in series.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 5. The screw means 27 there shown comprises a screw member 50 having external threads 5| cooperable with internal threads in a hole 52 transverse to the portion 26. The screw member 56 has an axial recess having internal threads 53 cooperable with threads 54 on a projection 55 carried by and extending from the portion 25 toward the portion 26. The threaded projection 55 is here shown as a cylindrical stud having an unthreaded end 55 fitting in a reces 57 in the portion 25, a pin 58 extending through a hole in the portion 25 into or through the stud-end 56 to prevent either turning or longitudinal movement of the stud in the recess.

The threads 5|, 53 on the screw member 50 and those on the stud 55 are right handed, but the threads provide difierential action, the external threads 5| on the screw member 50 being of larger pitch than the threads 54 on the stud. Any suitable number of threads per inch may be used to get a desired differential action.

The screw member 5|] is shown in Figure 5 as provided with a kerf 59 to enable turning of the screw member by a screw driver. In Figure 6 the construction is the same as in Figure 5 except that instead of the kerf the screw member 55a is provided with a crank 60 for turning it.

Preferably the plug (such as 8) which is to be inserted into the aperture 23 is of the same diameter as that of the aperture. In order to insert the plug, the screw member 50 is turned clockwise. Such rotation screws the screw member 59 into the portion 25 toward the portion 25. At the same time the stud 55 is screwed into the threaded recess 53 of the screw member 58, which action, by itself, would tend to pull the portion 25 to the portion 26. However, since the screw member 5|], by reason of the greater pitch of the threads 5|, is screwed into the portion 26 faster than the stud 55 is screwed into the recess 53, th result is that the portions 25, 26 are forced apart. This action resiliently enlarges the aperture 23 so that a plug may be inserted therein.

When the plug has been inserted in the resiliently enlarged aperture 23 and tentatively positioned longitudinally of the axis of the aperture, the screw member 5|] may be turned a slight amount counterclockwise, thereby causing the portions 25, 26 to approach each other, thereby gripping the plug. The plug may be again released by clockwise rotation of the screw member 50.

When all of the plugs l5, I2, l8, have been positioned as desired with respect to each other in their respective clamp-supports 20b, 20a, 20,

the respective screw means may be tightened by rotating the screw members 50', 50 counterclockwise. Referring to Figure 5, counterclockwise rotation of the screw member 50 causes it to be screwed out of the portion 26, and at the same time the stud is screwed out of the recess 53 in the screw member 50. Since the screw member 50, by reason of the greater pitch of the threads 5|, is screwed out of the portion 26 faster than the stud 55 is screwed out of the threaded recess 53 in the screw member, the portions 25, 26 are pulled toward each other, thereby causing positive contraction of the aperture 23, to tighten the grip on the plug.

Where, as in Figure 6, the screw member 50a is provided with a crank it may be desirable that when the screw member 50a is in the rotative position in which the clamp is desirably tightened, the crank 60 shall be in the position shown in Figure 6, and/or that all of the cranks of the respective clamps shall be in substantially the same angular position. This may be accomplished as illustrated in the embodiment of Figure 7.

In the embodiment of Figure 7 an externally and internally threaded sleeve 6| is interposed between a screw member 5012 and a transverse threaded hole 52b in the portion 26b. The sleeve 6| is provided with circumferentially spaced kerfs 62 whereby it may be rotated by a spanner wrench, or otherwise. The external threads 63 on the sleeve 5|, cooperatin with the threaded hole 52b, and the internal threads 64, on the sleeve 6|, are right handed but of different pitch, the pitch of the external threads 63 being smaller than the pitch of the internal threads 64, for example.

The external threads 5|b on the screw member 5% cooperate with the internal threads 64 on the sleeve 6|, and the external threads 542) on a stud 55b cooperate with internal threads 5319 in arecess in the screw member 562). As in the case of the external threads 5| on the screw member 50 of Figure 5, the external threads 5|b on the screw member 5% of Figure '7 are of larger pitch than the internal threads 53b.

Assuming that the sleeve 6| is in any given position, rotation of the screw member 5027 in clockwise and counterclockwise directions will produce the same results as already described in connection with the screw member 50 of Figure 7. However, if, when the screw member 50b is in the rotative position securing the desired clamp-tightening action, the angular position is not as desired, the crank 601) may be turned to loosen the clamp, and the sleeve 6| rotated in the proper direction to an adjusted position so that when the crank is again turned to tighten the clamp, the crank will assume the position shown in Figure 7, or other desired angular position.

From the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the illustrated embodiments of the invention provide new and improved spark gap apparatus, and accordingly,

' each accomplishes the principal object of the flow of cooling fluid adjacent said aperture, and I having inlet and outlet ports for said passage at the base of said support, said chamber adjacent said outlet port having an extension away from said port in a direction about said aperture; and said chamber being so constructed and arranged that fluid flowing from said inlet port through said passage will be directed into said extension.

2. Spark gap means, comprising: an electrode; clamp means for holding and supporting said electrode, said clamp means comprising a member having an aperture for the reception of said electrode, said member being split into said aperture to provide portions spaced at said split; one of said portions including a part having a transverse threaded hole; screw means, including external threads constructed and arranged for cooperation with said threaded hole; a projection carried by said other portion and extending toward said one portion, and having external threads at its free end; and said screw means including internal threads constructed and arranged for cooperation with the external threads on said projection.

3. Spark gap means, comprising: an electrode; clamp means for holding and supporting said electrode, said clamp means comprising a member having an aperture for the reception of said electrode, said member being split into said aperture to provide portions spaced at said split; one of said portions including a part having a transverse threaded hole; screw means, including external threads constructed and arranged for cooperation with said threaded hole; a projection carried by said other portion and extending toward said one portion, and having external threads at its free end; said screw means including internal threads constructed and arranged for cooperation with the external threads on said projection; and said internal threads being of difierent pitch from said external 6 threads cooperable with the threads in said threaded hole.

4. Spark gap means, comprising: an electrode; clamp means for holding and supporting said electrode, including screw means for operating said clamp means; and means, including an externally threaded sleeve cooperable with a relatively stationary threaded hole in said clamp means, said sleeve having internal threads cooperable with said screw means, constructed and arranged to adjust the rotative position said screw means assumes when the desired clamping action is attained.

5. Spark gap means, comprising: an electrode; clamp means for holding and supporting said electrode, said clamp means comprising a member having an aperture for the reception of said electrode, said member being split into said aperture to provide portions spaced at said split; one of said portions including a part having a threaded hole, said part being a sleeve separate from said portion and having external threads cooperable with internal threads in a threaded hole in said portion, the external and internal threads of said sleeve being of different pitch; screw means, including external threads con structed and arranged for coperation with the threaded hole in said sleeve; a projection carried by said other portion and extending toward said one portion, and having external threads at its free end; and said screw means including internal threads constructed and arranged for cooperation with the external threads on said projection.

GEORGE l-I. GORDON.

EDWARD C. HILKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are -of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,764,279 Osborn June 17, 1930 2,231,783 Tresslar et a1 Feb. 11, 1941 2,300,101 Capita Oct. 27, 1942 2,318,633 Ries 1 May 11, 1943 2,381,648 Curtis Aug. 7, 1945 2,449,552 Gorham et al Sept. 21, 1948 

